‘I don’t hold a hose, mate’: Australia’s political history is full of gaffes. Here are some of the best (or worst) | Frank Bongiorno
As we enter another election season, we can expect the media to spend at least as much time on the hunt for gaffes as they do on policy substance
- Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
- Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a gaffe as a “blunder, an instance of clumsy stupidity, a ‘faux pas’”. It evokes a sense of triviality rather than high seriousness. If one’s clumsiness results in the outbreak of war, it would not usually be considered a mere gaffe.
Nor are gaffes ordinarily seen to result from the unworthy impulses of spite or cruelty. No one would call Robodebt a gaffe. It was far worse than that. Gaffes normally imply absent-mindedness rather than deliberation.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
[#item_full_content]
